Dull little boxes and an old-time smear campaign

The Apple and Intel partnership is likely to be an uneasy one. Apple did not take the 30 pieces of silver from Intel for co-marketing, putting an Intel sticker on their computer cases would have been like screaming I’m a commodity in fancy clothing. What caused more controversy was the Apple TV spots for its new Intel powered computers. The Intel chip, for years its been trapped inside PCs. Inside dull little boxes, dutifully performing dull little tasks, when it could have been doing so much more… Starting today the Intel chip will be set free and get to live life inside a Mac imagine the possibilities.

An Intel spokesperson responded that Intel’s customers aren’t boring. The ads were great hucksterism like an old story attributed to Lyndon B Johnson.

The story goes something like this: LBJ was contesting a seat in Texas against a rival who was big in agriculture. He turns around to one of his aides and orders him to spread a rumour that his political rival had engaged in sexual congress with a pig. The aide pointed out that this wasn’t true to which LBJ responded “I know it ain’t true, but I want to hear him deny it…”

The ads are yet another wily move by Jobs & Co; its no surprise that the FT is recognising the master tactician himself in a book that will be given away free with the Financial Times newspaper on January 16th.